Environmental Photography: Portraiture on Location
ART-40494
Environmental Photography: Portraiture on Location
9 Weeks | Prerequisite: Photo I: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO (ART-40629) or equivalent experience
Discover the art of telling stories through portraiture that captures not only a subject’s face, but also the essence of their environment. In Environmental Photography: Portraiture on Location, you’ll build upon your foundational photography skills to develop a personal style that combines technique, creativity, and visual storytelling.
Course Details
Through thoughtful assignments, reading, and guided critiques, you’ll learn how to pose, light, and position your subjects in meaningful locations, resulting in images that communicate depth, authenticity, and emotional resonance.
This course balances hands-on practice with conceptual exploration. You’ll examine light quality, lens selection, and compositional strategies to enhance your images. You’ll also delve into historical and contemporary works, gaining insight into how environmental portraiture has evolved and is applied in editorial, conceptual, and commercial settings. With each assignment, you’ll receive supportive feedback, helping you refine your approach and gain confidence in your vision.
Expect to engage in constructive communication with the instructor and your classmates. By the end of the course, you’ll have created a cohesive series of environmental portraits that align with your creative goals. Along the way, you’ll improve your technical skills, expand your understanding of visual storytelling, and prepare to share your work in a final portfolio that reflects both your newfound expertise and unique artistic voice.
What You'll Learn
- Pose and position subjects in various locations to convey identity and atmosphere.
- Apply depth of field and aperture control techniques for ideal portrait results.
- Select appropriate focal lengths for diverse environmental portrait scenarios.
- Utilize lighting patterns and available or added light sources effectively.
- Enhance captures with basic light modifiers, including diffusers and reflectors.
- Compose images balancing positive and negative space to create visual impact.
- Understand historical and contemporary environmental portrait photographers’ work.
- Create, edit, and present a cohesive series of environmental portraits as a final portfolio.
- Develop a personal artistic style that integrates environment, subject, and narrative.
Course Information
Equipment/Software: Fully adjustable DSLR camera or mirrorless camera with manual settings. Basic lighting tools (e.g., reflectors, diffusers; speedlights recommended). Access to image editing software (e.g., Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop)
Flexible Enrollment: This course is an elective for the Photography: Images & Techniques Professional Certificate but is open to all students, even if you're not enrolled in the Certificate Program.
Academic Calendar: The Academic Calendar shows the open enrollment dates and term start dates for each quarter. Courses do not necessarily start on the first day of the term.
-This course was previously titled: Environmental Portraiture.
Course sessions
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
No textbook required.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 4/4/2025
- Early Enrollment Discount: $400 ($425 if enrolled after 3/3/2025)
- Early enrollment advised
- No UCSD parking permit required
- No visitors permitted
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Elizabeth Norris, M.A.
A photo educator and fine art/freelance commercial photographer for the past 25 years and teaches photography in person for the Art Institute in San Diego
Ellyn holds a Master’s in Art Education and Photography from the prestigious Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, where she deepened her understanding of both the technical and conceptual aspects of the medium. As a Core Instructor in the Photography: Images and Techniques Certificate Program at UCSD Division of Extended Studies, she shares her wealth of knowledge with aspiring photographers. She teaches numerous workshops and courses, focusing on both the artistic and technical facets of photography. Her teaching approach emphasizes hands-on learning and encourages students to develop their unique visual styles. Ellyn's commitment to education and mentorship has inspired many to pursue photography with confidence and creativity, making her a highly respected figure in the photography community.